Tom Ingram wins 2026 BTCC season opener
- Michael Williams
- Apr 19
- 4 min read
Pre-race, teams and drivers had to decide which tyre to start on. Four of the top opted for the softer, quicker tyre, but Tom Ingram was the odd one out, deciding to save it for later in the day. The majority of grid opted for the medium tyre for the first race of the year, including Ash Sutton, who started right at the back after an off in the qualifying race yesterday.
The race got underway with a slow start for Dan Rowbottom and he fell down the order through turn one. Team VERTU’s Ingram came through with a healthy lead, ahead of Josh Cook and WSR’s Charles Rainford. Rowbottom held on to fourth, battling with Rainford and managed to get past at the end of the lap.
Ingram built a gap of one and half seconds after the opening lap. Meanwhile, NAPA Racing UK’s Sutton climbed to 13th after lap one as he barged his way past teammate, Dan Cammish, on the following lap.
Rowbottom managed to hunt down Cook and began to put him under pressure for second, with Rainford and Mikey Doble behind. Some close battles deeper in the pack, including Tom Chilton battling with Aiden Moffat and Gordon Shedden as well as Daryl DeLeon fighting with Ricky Collard.
Rowbottom’s attack on Cook was halted as Rainford found pace and began to put the Plato Racing Mercedes under pressure. Sutton continued his charge through the field as he was up to eighth a third of the way through the race.
Cook managed to pull back some time on Ingram, but the Toyota driver had used more boost than the race leader at this point of the race, nonetheless, the gap was just a few car lengths. Power Maxed Racing’s Moffat then fell victim to the hard charging Sutton who was up to seventh. That quickly became sixth as Josh Cook went off at the chicane, bringing out the safety car.
It appeared to be strange crash, caused by a rear left puncture for Cook, who was forced to retire deep in the gravel. The running order half way through with the safety car was Ingram from Rowbottom, Rainford, Doble and the other Mercedes of Adam Morgan.
The race would get underway on lap 12 after the Toyota was recovered from the final corner. Ingram made a good restart as the running order remained the same through turn one. Sutton however, made quick work of Morgan, putting his NAPA Ford up to fifth. Doble then moved up to third, past Rainford’s BMW into the final chicane, who quickly fell behind Sutton.
Three laps were added due to the safety car period, bringing the race to a total of 21 laps. The fight for the final points positions was intensely fought by various cars during the second part of the race as one of the Restart Racing Hyundai’s ran wide. Collard then came into the pits with a suspected puncture, but did manage to rejoin, albeit a lap down.
Ingram had managed to build a solid gap out front, as Rowbottom was given a final warning for track limits. Chilton and Sam Osborne then pushed past WSR’s DeLeon. Collard then returned to the pits.
Doble held off Sutton as he put Rowbottom under pressure for second. In fact, Sutton’s pace slowed and was put under intense pressure from Rainford and Morgan, with the former getting past after the Craner Curves on lap 18.
However, the battles continued with Sutton getting back up to fourth ahead of Morgan and Rainford now down to fifth and under pressure from Cammish.
The final laps included multiple battles throughout the grid, as Rowbottom was awarded a ten second time penalty for abusing track limits.
A champions drive from Ingram as he cruised to the first win of the 2026 British Touring Car Championship. Doble crossed the line to take second in his Audi, also taking the Independents win. The podium was completed by Sutton, a phenomenal drive from the back of the grid.
Then came Morgan, Rainford and Cammish as Shedden, Moffat, Dexter Patterson and Árón Taylor-Smith rounded out the top ten. Chilton was in 11th, ahead of the penalised Rowbottom, with DeLeon, Restart’s James Dorlin and NAPA’s Osborne completing the points paying positions.
Rookie Lewis Selby finished 16th, ahead of Chris Smiley, Nicolas Hamilton, Max Buxton, the hindered Collard and the only retirement of Cook.
The perfect way to start the year for Team VERTU and Tom Ingram, meanwhile, Plato Racing will be disappointed, but still a strong showing with Adam Morgan in fourth. Ash Sutton ensured he limited the damage from yesterday’s retirement in his NAPA Ford Saloon. Power Maxed Racing continue to impress with all three Audi’s in the top ten, with WSR being able to take away some positives, but will likely be hoping for stronger results later today.
Race two is due to get underway at 14:40 local time.
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